While England's brightest young match angling hopes hunted medals and honours in Italy, the Premier Fisheries group in England is offering more financially tangible encouragement to home-grown talent.

The UK Browning Young Masters tournament is giving youngsters the chance to hone their skills in the same sharp-edged arena occupied by the match aces they will eventually replace.

Qualifying matches are being staged on the commercial waters run by Premier Fisheries, leading up to a #5,000 grand final being hosted on Roy Marlowe's Glebe fishery in Leicestershire on August 23.

The Preston Innovations Makin venue at Wolvey is taking part and has already staged two qualifiers, each 30-peg match sending two youngsters to the showpiece event.

Richard Packwood won the latest tussle when he netted 26-0-0 to finish clear of 16-year-old Woodland schoolboy Barrie Allard on 24-8-0.

Previously, 11-year-old carp hauling veteran Samantha Perkins (Dynamite Matchman Supplies) had already shown the lads the way home with a qualifying 41-6-0, ahead of James Oldfield (Long Eaton Vic) whose 34-12-0 also put him into the final.